Rebaudioside e and food products sweetened with rebaudioside e

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure is generally directed to orally consumable products, such as foodstuffs and beverages, containing rebaudioside E present in, e.g., about 5 ppm to about 100 ppm, and to methods for preparing such orally consumable products.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/837,097, filed Jun. 19, 2013, the disclosure of which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to orally consumable products, such as foods andbeverages containing rebaudioside E.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There is a need for new food and beverage formulations that canadequately meet one or a combination of commercial objectives, such asnutritional characteristics, flavor, and/or shelf-life. Such food andbeverage formulations are desirable to meet changing market demands. Inparticular, there is market demand for foods and beverages havingalternative nutritional characteristics, including, for example,low/zero calorie content. Also, there is consumer interest in food andbeverage formulations that are organic and/or all natural, or that makegreater use of natural ingredients, such as ingredients distilled,extracted, concentrated, or similarly obtained from harvested plants orother naturally occurring sources, typically with limited or no furtherprocessing.

One problem with developing new food and beverage formulations employingalternative sweeteners is the associated bitterness and other off-tastesof such sweeteners. For example, it has been reported that, in additionto sweetness, certain steviol glycosides and other components of steviaextract exhibit bitterness or other off-tastes.

Steviol glycosides include potent, non-nutritive sweet-tasting compoundsthat can be extracted as natural sweeteners from the stevia plants, suchas Stevia rebaudiana. Typically, these compounds are found to includestevioside (in an amount of 4-13% dry weight); steviolbioside (in traceamounts); rebaudiosides, including primarily rebaudioside A along withrebaudioside B, rebaudioside C, rebaudioside D, and rebaudioside E; anddulcosides, including dulcoside A (in an amount of 0.4-0.7% dry weight)and dulcoside B. Rebaudioside A has been shown to be present in steviaplants at 4-7% (dry weight of leaves), and rebaudioside A sweeteners aresold commercially. Other rebaudiosides have been shown to be present instevia plants at low amounts, including trace amounts of rebaudioside B,1-2% (dry weight) of rebaudioside C, trace amounts of rebaudioside D,and trace amounts of rebaudioside E.

While stevia leaves generally contain only about 1.4 weight percentrebaudioside A (Reb A), purification techniques often are used toincrease the amount of rebaudioside A in the sweetener to at least about85 weight percent Reb A, with the balance being primarily residualamounts of the other steviol glycosides. Rebaudioside A sweeteners, suchas Reb A purified from stevia leaves or a stevia extract processed toincrease the relative amount of Reb A, have been widely commercializedin the food industry. Since receiving GRAS (Generally Recognized AsSafe) status, an approval mechanism widely used in the food and beverageindustry, Reb A sweeteners have become popular, naturally-occurring,potent sweeteners in foods and beverages. Rebaudioside A isapproximately 200 times sweeter than sucrose. However, the sweetness ofReb A sweeteners is accompanied by problems of off-tastes in many foodand beverage formulations, such as carbonated cola flavored beverages,including slow on-set of sweetness, bitter aftertaste, licorice taste,and lingering aftertaste. In particular, bitter off-tastes are believedto have reduced commercialization of beverages sweetened with Reb Asweeteners, such as diet carbonated soft drinks. For example, suchoff-tastes tend to be more perceptible in diet carbonated cola softdrinks sweetened with a Reb A sweetener than in other beverageformulations.

Accordingly, there is a need for new sweeteners having desirable tasteand nutritional characteristics.

All references cited herein, including patent applications andpublications, are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure is generally directed to orally consumableproducts, such as foodstuffs and beverages, containing isolated orextracted rebaudioside E and to methods for preparing such orallyconsumable products. In some embodiments, the rebaudioside E is presentin the product at a concentration of about 5 ppm to about 100 ppm. Insome embodiments, low concentrations of rebaudioside E, e.g., below 100ppm, has an equivalent sweetness to sucrose solutions havingconcentrations between 10,000 and 30,000 ppm.

Accordingly, certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to anorally consumable product containing rebaudioside E present in about 5ppm to about 100 ppm. In certain embodiments, the rebaudioside E ispresent in about 5 ppm to about 60 ppm. In certain embodiments, therebaudioside E is present in about 20 ppm to about 100 ppm. In certainembodiments, the rebaudioside E is present in about 20 ppm to about 60ppm. In certain embodiments, the orally consumable product is selectedfrom a foodstuff composition, a beverage product, a dietary supplement,a nutraceutical, an edible gel mix, an edible gel composition, apharmaceutical composition, a dental composition, and an oral hygienecomposition. In certain embodiments, the orally consumable product is afoodstuff composition selected from a confectionary composition, acondiment, a chewing gum, a cereal composition, a baked good, a dairyproduct, and a tabletop sweetener composition. In certain embodiments,the product is a carbonated or non-carbonated beverage product. Incertain embodiments, the product is a beverage product selected from asoft drink, a fountain beverage, a frozen and ready-to-drink beverage,coffee, tea, a dairy beverage, a powdered soft drink, a liquidconcentrate, flavored water, enhanced water, fruit juice, a fruit juiceflavored drink, a sport drink, and an energy drink.

In certain embodiments that may be combined with any of the precedingembodiments, the rebaudioside E is the only sweetener, and the producthas a sweetness intensity equivalent to about 1% to about 4% (w/v-%)sucrose solution. In certain embodiments that may be combined with anyof the preceding embodiments, the orally consumable product furtherincludes an additional sweetener, where the product has a sweetnessintensity equivalent to about 1% to about 10% (w/v-%) sucrose solution.In certain embodiments that may be combined with any of the precedingembodiments, every sweetening ingredient in the product is a highintensity sweetener. In certain embodiments that may be combined withany of the preceding embodiments, every sweetening ingredient in theproduct is a natural high intensity sweetener. In certain embodimentsthat may be combined with any of the preceding embodiments, theadditional sweetener contains one or more sweeteners selected from astevia extract, a steviol glycoside, stevioside, rebaudioside A,rebaudioside B, rebaudioside C, rebaudioside D, rebaudioside F,dulcoside A, rubusoside, steviolbioside, sucrose, high fructose cornsyrup, fructose, glucose, xylose, arabinose, rhamnose, erythritol,xylitol, mannitol, sorbitol, inositol, AceK, aspartame, neotame,sucralose, saccharine, naringin dihydrochalcone (NarDHC), neohesperidindihydrochalcone (NDHC), rubusoside, mogroside IV, siamenoside I,mogroside V, monatin, thaumatin, monellin, brazzein, L-alanine, glycine,Lo Han Guo, hernandulcin, phyllodulcin, trilobtain, and combinationsthereof. In certain embodiments that may be combined with any of thepreceding embodiments, the orally consumable product further includesone or more additives selected from a carbohydrate, a polyol, an aminoacid or salt thereof, a poly-amino acid or salt thereof, a sugar acid orsalt thereof, a nucleotide, an organic acid, an inorganic acid, anorganic salt, an organic acid salt, an organic base salt, an inorganicsalt, a bitter compound, a flavorant, a flavoring ingredient, anastringent compound, a protein, a protein hydrolysate, a surfactant, anemulsifier, a flavonoids, an alcohol, a polymer, and combinationsthereof. In certain embodiments that may be combined with any of thepreceding embodiments, he rebaudioside E has a purity of about 50% toabout 100% by weight before it is added into the product. In certainembodiments that may be combined with any of the preceding embodiments,the rebaudioside E in the product is a rebaudioside E polymorph oramorphous rebaudioside E. In certain embodiments that may be combinedwith any of the preceding embodiments, the rebaudioside E in the productis a rebaudioside E stereoisomer.

Other aspects of the present disclosure relate to a method of preparingan orally consumable product by including purified rebaudioside E intothe product or into the ingredients for making the product, whererebaudioside E is present in the product at a concentration of fromabout 5 ppm to about 100 ppm. Other aspects of the present disclosurerelate to a method for enhancing the sweetness of an orally consumableproduct by adding from about 5 ppm to about 100 ppm of purified rebaudioside E into an orally consumable product or into the ingredients formaking an orally consumable product, where the added rebaudioside Eenhances the sweetness of the orally consumable product, as compared toa corresponding orally consumable product lacking the purifiedrebaudioside E. In certain embodiments, the rebaudioside E is present inthe product at a concentration of from about 5 ppm to about 60 ppm. Incertain embodiments, the rebaudioside E is present in the product at aconcentration of from about 20 ppm to about 100 ppm. In certainembodiments, the rebaudioside E is present in the product at aconcentration of from about 20 ppm to about 60 ppm.

In certain embodiments that may be combined with any of the precedingembodiments, the rebaudioside E is the only sweetener, and the producthas a sweetness intensity equivalent to about 1% to about 4% (w/v-%)sucrose solution. In certain embodiments that may be combined with anyof the preceding embodiments, the method further includes adding anadditional sweetener, where the product has a sweetness intensityequivalent to about 1% to about 10% (w/v-%) sucrose solution.

Other aspects of the present disclosure relate to a method for preparinga sweetened orally consumable product, by: a) providing an orallyconsumable product containing one or more sweetener; and b) adding fromabout 5 ppm to about 100 ppm of purified rebaudioside E into the orallyconsumable product. In certain embodiments, from about 5 ppm to about 60ppm of purified rebaudioside E is added into the orally consumableproduct. In certain embodiments, from about 20 ppm to about 100 ppm ofpurified rebaudioside E is added into the orally consumable product. Incertain embodiments, from about 20 ppm to about 60 ppm of purifiedrebaudioside E is added into the orally consumable product.

In certain embodiments that may be combined with any of the precedingembodiments, the method further includes adding one or more additives tothe orally consumable product. In certain embodiments that may becombined with any of the preceding embodiments, the orally consumableproduct further contains one or more additives. In certain embodimentsthat may be combined with any of the preceding embodiments, the one ormore additives are selected from a carbohydrate, a polyol, an amino acidor salt thereof, a poly-amino acid or salt thereof, a sugar acid or saltthereof, a nucleotide, an organic acid, an inorganic acid, an organicsalt, an organic acid salt, an organic base salt, an inorganic salt, abitter compound, a flavorant, a flavoring ingredient, an astringentcompound, a protein, a protein hydrolysate, a surfactant, an emulsifier,a flavonoids, an alcohol, a polymer, and combinations thereof. Incertain embodiments that may be combined with any of the precedingembodiments, every sweetening ingredient in the product is a highintensity sweetener. In certain embodiments that may be combined withany of the preceding embodiments, every sweetening ingredient in theproduct is a natural high intensity sweetener. In certain embodimentsthat may be combined with any of the preceding embodiments, thesweetener is selected from a stevia extract, a steviol glycoside,stevioside, rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B, rebaudioside C, rebaudiosideD, rebaudioside F, dulcoside A, rubusoside, steviolbioside, sucrose,high fructose corn syrup, fructose, glucose, xylose, arabinose,rhamnose, erythritol, xylitol, mannitol, sorbitol, inositol, AceK,aspartame, neotame, sucralose, saccharine, naringin dihydrochalcone(NarDHC), neohesperidin dihydrochalcone (NDHC), rubusoside, mogrosideIV, siamenoside I, mogroside V, monatin, thaumatin, monellin, brazzein,L-alanine, glycine, Lo Han Guo, hernandulcin, phyllodulcin, trilobtain,and combinations thereof. In certain embodiments that may be combinedwith any of the preceding embodiments, the rebaudioside E has a purityof about 50% to about 100% by weight before it is added into theproduct. In certain embodiments that may be combined with any of thepreceding embodiments, the rebaudioside E in the product is arebaudioside E polymorph or amorphous rebaudio side E. In certainembodiments that may be combined with any of the preceding embodiments,the rebaudioside E in the product is a rebaudioside E stereoisomer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the sweetness of rebaudioside E (Reb-E) and sucrose as afunction of concentration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Definitions

As used herein, the term “orally consumable product(s)” refers to anedible substances which are contacted with the mouth of man or animal,including substances that are taken into and subsequently ejected fromthe mouth and substances which are drunk, eaten, swallowed, or otherwiseingested; and that are safe for human or animal consumption when used ina generally acceptable range of concentrations.

As used herein, the term “stereoisomer” is a general term for allisomers of individual molecules that differ only in the orientation oftheir atoms in space. “Stereoisomer” includes enantiomers and isomers ofcompounds with more than one chiral center that are not mirror images ofone another (diastereomers).

As used herein, the term “polymorphism” refers to the ability of acompound, such as rebaudioside E, to exist as two or more crystallinestates that have different arrangements and/or conformations of themolecules in the crystal lattice. Polymorphism may cause physicalproperties such as density, melting point, and rate of dissolution tochange. As used herein, a “rebaudioside E polymorph(s)” is arebaudioside E molecule that has a different crystalline state havingdifferent arrangements and/or conformations of the molecules in thecrystal lattice than the corresponding parent rebaudioside E molecule.

As used herein, the term “amorphous rebaudioside E” refers to anon-crystalline solid form of rebaudioside E.

As used herein, the term “sweetness intensity” refers to the relativestrength of sweet sensation as observed or experienced by an individual,e.g., a human, or a degree or amount of sweetness detected by a taster,for example on a Brix scale.

As used herein, the term “enhancing the sweetness” refers to the effectof rebaudioside E in increasing, augmenting, intensifying, accentuating,magnifying, and/or potentiating the sensory perception of one or moresweetness characteristics of an orally consumable product of the presentdisclosure without changing the nature or quality thereof, as comparedto a corresponding orally consumable product that does not containrebaudioside E.

As used herein, the term “off-taste(s)” refers to an amount or degree oftaste that is not characteristically or usually found in an orallyconsumable product of the present disclosure. For example, an off-tasteis an undesirable taste of a sweetened consumable to consumers, such as,a bitter taste, a licorice-like taste, a metallic taste, an aversivetaste, an astringent taste, a delayed sweetness onset, a lingering sweetaftertaste, and the like, etc.

As used herein, the term “carbohydrate sweetener” includes caloricsweeteners, such as, sucrose, fructose, glucose, high fructose cornsyrup (containing fructose and glucose), xylose, arabinose, rhamnose,and sugar alcohols, such as erythritol, xylitol, mannitol, sorbitol, andinositol.

As used herein, the term “w/v-%” refers to the weight of a compound,such as a sugar, (in grams) for every 100 ml of a liquid orallyconsumable product of the present disclosure containing such compound.

As used herein, the term “w/w-%” refers to the weight of a compound,such as a sugar, (in grams) for every gram of an orally consumableproduct of the present disclosure containing such compound.

As used herein, the term “ppm” refers to part(s) per million by weight,for example, the weight of a compound, such as rebaudioside E (inmilligrams) per kilogram of an orally consumable product of the presentdisclosure containing such compound (i.e., mg/kg) or the weight of acompound, such as rebaudioside E (in milligrams) per liter of an orallyconsumable product of the present disclosure containing such compound(i.e., mg/L); or by volume, for example the volume of a compound, suchas rebaudioside E (in milliliters) per liter of an orally consumableproduct of the present disclosure containing such compound (i.e., ml/L).

As used herein, the term “flavor” refers to any food-grade material thatmay be added to or present in an orally consumable product of thepresent disclosure to provide a desired flavor.

As used herein, the singular form “a”, “an”, and “the” includes pluralreferences unless indicated otherwise.

Reference to “about” a value or parameter herein refers to the usualerror range for the respective value readily known to the skilled personin this technical field. Reference to “about” a value or parameterherein includes (and describes) aspects that are directed to that valueor parameter per se. For example, description referring to “about X”includes description of “X.”

Rebaudioside E

Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to rebaudioside E andrebaudioside E-containing orally consumable products.

As disclosed herein, “rebaudioside E” and “Reb E” are usedinterchangeably and refer to the diterpene glycoside13-[(2-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-β-D-glucopyranosyl)oxy]ent-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid-(2-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-β-D-glucopyranosyl)ester. The structure of rebaudioside E is depicted below:

Diterpene glycosides, such as rebaudioside E, have been found in leafextracts from the stevia plant Stevia rebaudiana (Berton). RebaudiosideE has been found to be a minor component of S. rebaudiana that has asweetness that is about 150 to 200 times greater than sucrose.Advantageously, rebaudioside E has zero calories and can be usedwherever sugar (e.g., sucrose) is used.

In certain embodiments, rebaudioside E may also refer to a steviaextract purified to increase the relative amount (concentration) ofrebaudioside E.

Rebaudioside E may be obtained and/or isolated by extraction or the likefrom stevia plants. Stevia (e.g., Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) is asweet-tasting plant. Stevia leaves contain a complex mixture of naturalsweet diterpene glycosides, known as steviol glycosides, which arecomponents of stevia that contribute sweetness.

Any suitable technique known in the art for isolating and/or purifyingcompounds, such as rebaudiosides, from plants, such as stevia, may beused. For example, rebaudioside E can be isolated and/or purified fromstevia plant material utilizing one or more of the techniques describedin U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,723,410; 4,082,858; 4,361,697; 4,599,403; 5,112,610;5,962,678; 8,299,224; 8,414,951; U.S. Patent Application PublicationNos. 2006/0083838; 2006/0134292; 2007/0082103; 2008/0300402; andChaturvedula, VSP and Prakash, I, Eur. Chem. Bull. 2013, 2(5), 298-302.Alternatively, rebaudioside E can be chemically synthesized usingmethods well known to those of skill in the art.

In some embodiments, glycosides from leaves, such as rebaudioside E, canbe extracted using either water or organic solvent extraction.Supercritical fluid extraction and steam distillation can also be used.In other embodiments, rebaudioside E can be recovered from stevia plantsusing membrane technology. In some embodiments, production of anextract, such as a rebaudioside E extract, typically includes extractionof plant material with water or an water-organic solvent mixture,precipitation of high molecular weight substances, deionization anddecolorization, purification on specific macroporous polymericadsorbents, concentration, and drying.

In other embodiments, extracts of stevia leaves may be purified toconcentrate a selected component of the stevia extract, such asrebaudioside E. For example, column chromatography may be used toisolate rebaudioside E from the other diterpene glycosides. In someembodiments, following chromatographic separation, rebaudioside E mayoptionally be recrystallized at least once, or at least twice, or atleast three times, to obtain a stevia extract containing a desired levelof purity of rebaudioside E. In some embodiments, a stevia extract usedas the rebaudioside E component of an orally consumable product of thepresent disclosure has a purity of about 50% to about 100% by weight,about 55% to about 100% by weight, about 60% to about 100% by weight,about 65% to about 100% by weight, about 70% to about 100% by weight,about 75% to about 100% by weight, about 80% to about 100% by weight,about 85% to about 100% by weight, about 86% to about 100% by weight,about 87% to about 100% by weight, about 88% to about 100% by weight,about 89% to about 100% by weight, about 90% to about 100% by weight,about 91% to about 100% by weight, about 92% to about 100% by weight,about 93% to about 100% by weight, about 94% to about 100% by weight,about 95% to about 100% by weight, about 96% to about 100% by weight,about 97% to about 100% by weight, about 98% to about 100% by weight, orabout 99% to about 100% by weight. Alternatively, a stevia extract usedas the rebaudioside E component of an orally consumable product of thepresent disclosure has a purity of about 50% to about 100% by weight,about 50% to about 99% by weight, about 50% to about 98% by weight,about 50% to about 97% by weight, about 50% to about 96% by weight,about 50% to about 95% by weight, about 50% to about 94% by weight,about 50% to about 93% by weight, about 50% to about 92% by weight,about 50% to about 91% by weight, about 50% to about 90% by weight,about 50% to about 85% by weight, about 50% to about 80% by weight,about 50% to about 75% by weight, about 50% to about 70% by weight,about 50% to about 65% by weight, about 50% to about 60% by weight, orabout 50% to about 55% by weight. For example, a stevia extract used asthe rebaudioside E component of an orally consumable product of thepresent disclosure may have a purity of about 50%, about 55%, about 60%,about 65%, about 70%, about 75%, about 80%, about 85%, about 86%, about87%, about 88%, about 89%, about 90%, about 91%, about 92%, about 93%,about 94%, about 95%, about 96%, about 97%, about 98%, about 99%, orabout 100% by weight, including any range in between these values. Incertain embodiments, a stevia extract used as the rebaudioside Ecomponent of an orally consumable product of the present disclosure issubstantially separated from other diterpene glycosides, includingwithout limitation steviosides, steviolbiosides, other rebaudiosides(e.g., Reb A, Reb B, Reb C, Reb D, and Reb F), and dulcosides. As usedherein, rebaudioside E is “substantially separated” from other diterpeneglycosides in a stevia extract when the extract is enriched inrebaudioside E by from about 50% to about 100%, including any values inbetween the range, as compared to the other diterpene glycosides.

In some embodiments, rebaudioside E is used in a purified and/orisolated form. In certain embodiments, rebaudioside E has less than 50%,less than 45%, less than 40%, less than 35%, less than 30%, less than25%, less than 20%, less than 15%, less than 10%, less than 9%, lessthan 8%, less than 7%, less than 6%, less than 5%, less than 4%, lessthan 3%, less than 2%, or less than 1% of impurities other than water.Accordingly, in certain embodiments, the orally consumable products ofthe present disclosure will include rebaudioside E but no more than 50%,no more than 45%, no more than 40%, no more than 35%, no more than 30%,no more than 25%, no more than 20%, no more than 15%, no more than 10%,no more than 9%, no more than 8%, no more than 7%, no more than 6%, nomore than 5%, no more than 4%, no more than 3%, no more than 2%, or nomore than 1%, relative to rebaudioside E concentration, of othercompounds isolated from stevia plants, such as steviosides,steviolbiosides, other rebaudiosides (e.g., Reb A, Reb B, Reb C, Reb D,and Reb F), and dulcosides.

In some embodiments, the purified and/or isolated form of rebaudioside Ehas a purity of about 50% to about 100% by weight, about 55% to about100% by weight, about 60% to about 100% by weight, about 65% to about100% by weight, about 70% to about 100% by weight, about 75% to about100% by weight, about 80% to about 100% by weight, about 85% to about100% by weight, about 86% to about 100% by weight, about 87% to about100% by weight, about 88% to about 100% by weight, about 89% to about100% by weight, about 90% to about 100% by weight, about 91% to about100% by weight, about 92% to about 100% by weight, about 93% to about100% by weight, about 94% to about 100% by weight, about 95% to about100% by weight, about 96% to about 100% by weight, about 97% to about100% by weight, about 98% to about 100% by weight, or about 99% to about100% by weight. Alternatively, the purified and/or isolated form ofrebaudioside E has a purity of about 50% to about 100% by weight, about50% to about 99% by weight, about 50% to about 98% by weight, about 50%to about 97% by weight, about 50% to about 96% by weight, about 50% toabout 95% by weight, about 50% to about 94% by weight, about 50% toabout 93% by weight, about 50% to about 92% by weight, about 50% toabout 91% by weight, about 50% to about 90% by weight, about 50% toabout 85% by weight, about 50% to about 80% by weight, about 50% toabout 75% by weight, about 50% to about 70% by weight, about 50% toabout 65% by weight, about 50% to about 60% by weight, or about 50% toabout 55% by weight. For example, the purified and/or isolated form ofrebaudioside E may have a purity of about 50%, about 55%, about 60%,about 65%, about 70%, about 75%, about 80%, about 85%, about 86%, about87%, about 88%, about 89%, about 90%, about 91%, about 92%, about 93%,about 94%, about 95%, about 96%, about 97%, about 98%, about 99%, orabout 100% by weight, including any range in between these values.

The purity of rebaudioside E extracted, isolated, and/or purified fromstevia plants can be assayed using any suitable method known in the art.For example, chromatography, such as HPLC, may be used to test thepurity of rebaudioside E extracts.

In some embodiments, rebaudioside E of the present disclosure includesone or more rebaudioside E polymorphs and/or amorphous rebaudioside E.In other embodiments, rebaudioside E of the present disclosure includesa mixture of rebaudioside E polymorphs and/or amorphous rebaudioside E.In certain embodiments, rebaudioside E of the present disclosureincludes one or more rebaudioside E stereoisomers. In other embodiments,rebaudioside E of the present disclosure includes a mixture ofrebaudioside E stereoisomers.

Orally Consumable Products Containing Rebaudioside E

Other aspects of the present disclosure relate to orally consumableproducts containing rebaudioside E. In some embodiments, therebaudioside E sweetens and/or enhances the sweetness of the orallyconsumable product.

In certain embodiments, rebaudioside E is present in orally consumableproducts of the present disclosure at a final concentration that rangesfrom about 5 ppm to about 100 ppm, from about 5 ppm to about 95 ppm,from about 5 ppm to about 90 ppm, from about 5 ppm to about 85 ppm, fromabout 5 ppm to about 80 ppm, from about 5 ppm to about 75 ppm, fromabout 5 ppm to about 70 ppm, from about 5 ppm to about 65 ppm, fromabout 5 ppm to about 60 ppm, from about 5 ppm to about 55 ppm, fromabout 5 ppm to about 50 ppm, from about 5 ppm to about 45 ppm, fromabout 5 ppm to about 40 ppm, from about 5 ppm to about 35 ppm, fromabout 5 ppm to about 30 ppm, from about 5 ppm to about 25 ppm, fromabout 5 ppm to about 20 ppm, from about 5 ppm to about 15 ppm, or fromabout 5 ppm to about 10 ppm. Alternatively, rebaudioside E is present inorally consumable products of the present disclosure at a finalconcentration that ranges from about 5 ppm to about 100 ppm, from about10 ppm to about 100 ppm, from about 15 ppm to about 100 ppm, from about20 ppm to about 100 ppm, from about 25 ppm to about 100 ppm, from about30 ppm to about 100 ppm, from about 35 ppm to about 100 ppm, from about40 ppm to about 100 ppm, from about 45 ppm to about 100 ppm, from about50 ppm to about 100 ppm, from about 55 ppm to about 100 ppm, from about60 ppm to about 100 ppm, from about 65 ppm to about 100 ppm, from about70 ppm to about 100 ppm, from about 75 ppm to about 100 ppm, from about80 ppm to about 100 ppm, from about 85 ppm to about 100 ppm, from about90 ppm to about 100 ppm, or from about 95 ppm to about 100 ppm. Forexample, rebaudioside E may be present in orally consumable products ofthe present disclosure at a final concentration of about 5 ppm, about 10ppm, about 15 ppm, about 20 ppm, about 25 ppm, about 30 ppm, about 35ppm, about 40 ppm, about 45 ppm, about 50 ppm, about 55 ppm, about 60ppm, about 65 ppm, about 70 ppm, about 75 ppm, about 80 ppm, about 85ppm, about 90 ppm, about 95 ppm, or about 100 ppm, including any rangein between these values. In certain embodiments, rebaudioside E ispresent in orally consumable products of the present disclosure at afinal concentration that ranges from about 20 ppm to about 60 ppm. Asused herein, “final concentration” refers to the concentration of, forexample, rebaudioside E present in a final orally consumable product(i.e., after all ingredients and/or compounds have been added to producethe orally consumable product).

Accordingly, in certain embodiments, rebaudioside E has been addeddirectly to a compound or ingredient from which the orally consumableproduct is made. The rebaudioside E may be present in a single compoundor ingredient, or multiple compounds and ingredients. In otherembodiments, rebaudioside E has been added directly to the orallyconsumable product. Any suitable method known in the art for adding asweetener, such as rebaudioside E, may be used.

In some embodiments, the water solubility of rebaudioside E may be low.Accordingly, in certain embodiments, rebaudioside E can be provided as asupersaturated solution of rebaudioside E in an orally consumableproduct of the present disclosure. As used herein, the term “saturated”refers to the point of maximum concentration at which a solution of asubstance (e.g., a rebaudioside E solution) can dissolve no more of thatsubstance. The saturation point of a substance depends on thetemperature of the liquid the substance is to be dissolved in, as wellas the chemical nature of the liquid and the substance involved (e.g.,the water and/or the rebaudioside E). As used herein, the term“supersaturated” refers to a solution that contains more of a dissolvedmaterial (e.g., rebaudioside E) than a saturated solution.Supersaturated solutions are typically achieved when one or moreconditions of a saturated solution is changed, such as, e.g.,temperature, volume (e.g., by evaporation), pressure, or the like.

In some embodiments, rebaudioside E in the orally consumable product hasa purity of about 50% to about 100% by weight, about 55% to about 100%by weight, about 60% to about 100% by weight, about 65% to about 100% byweight, about 70% to about 100% by weight, about 75% to about 100% byweight, about 80% to about 100% by weight, about 85% to about 100% byweight, about 86% to about 100% by weight, about 87% to about 100% byweight, about 88% to about 100% by weight, about 89% to about 100% byweight, about 90% to about 100% by weight, about 91% to about 100% byweight, about 92% to about 100% by weight, about 93% to about 100% byweight, about 94% to about 100% by weight, about 95% to about 100% byweight, about 96% to about 100% by weight, about 97% to about 100% byweight, about 98% to about 100% by weight, or about 99% to about 100% byweight before it is added into the orally consumable product.Alternatively, rebaudioside E in the orally consumable product has apurity of about 50% to about 100% by weight, about 50% to about 99% byweight, about 50% to about 98% by weight, about 50% to about 97% byweight, about 50% to about 96% by weight, about 50% to about 95% byweight, about 50% to about 94% by weight, about 50% to about 93% byweight, about 50% to about 92% by weight, about 50% to about 91% byweight, about 50% to about 90% by weight, about 50% to about 85% byweight, about 50% to about 80% by weight, about 50% to about 75% byweight, about 50% to about 70% by weight, about 50% to about 65% byweight, about 50% to about 60% by weight, or about 50% to about 55% byweight before it is added into the orally consumable product. Forexample, rebaudioside E in the orally consumable product may have apurity of about 50%, about 55%, about 60%, about 65%, about 70%, about75%, about 80%, about 85%, about 86%, about 87%, about 88%, about 89%,about 90%, about 91%, about 92%, about 93%, about 94%, about 95%, about96%, about 97%, about 98%, about 99%, or about 100% by weight before itis added into the orally consumable product, including any range inbetween these values. In other embodiments, the rebaudioside E in theorally consumable product is substantially separated from otherditerpene glycosides, including without limitation, steviosides,steviolbiosides, other rebaudiosides (e.g., Reb A, Reb B, Reb C, Reb D,and Reb F), and dulcosides.

In certain embodiments, rebaudioside E is the only sweetener in theorally consumable product. In such embodiments, the orally consumableproduct has a sweetness intensity equivalent to about 1% to about 4%(w/v-%) sucrose solution, about 1% to about 3% (w/v-%) sucrose solution,or about 1% to about 2% (w/v-%) sucrose solution. Alternatively, theorally consumable product has a sweetness intensity equivalent to about1% to about 4% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, about 2% to about 4% (w/v-%)sucrose solution, about 3% to about 4% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, orabout 4%. For example, the orally consumable product may have asweetness intensity equivalent to about 1%, about 2%, about 3%, or about4% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, including any range in between thesevalues.

In other embodiments, about 5 ppm to about 100 ppm rebaudioside Epresent in orally consumable products of the present disclosure issufficient for the rebaudioside E to provide from about 10% to about100% of the total sweetening of the orally consumable product. As usedherein, the term “total sweetening of the orally consumable product”includes the sweetness of the orally consumable product contributed byany and all sweetening ingredients, as determined by a sensory testpanel. A “sweetening ingredient” as disclosed herein, is one that isitself sweet and which itself contributes sweetness in the orallyconsumable product perceptible to the sensory panel. In someembodiments, about 5 ppm to about 100 ppm rebaudioside E present inorally consumable products of the present disclosure is sufficient forthe rebaudioside E to provide about 10%, about 15%, about 20%, about25%, about 30%, about 35%, about 40%, about 45%, about 50%, about 55%,about 60%, about 65%, about 70%, about 75%, about 80%, about 85%, about90%, about 91%, about 92%, about 93%, about 94%, about 95%, about 96%,about 97%, about 98%, about 99%, or about 100% of the total sweeteningof the orally consumable product.

In some embodiments, an orally consumable product of the presentdisclosure has a sweetness intensity equivalent to about 1% to about 25%(w/v-%) sucrose solution. For example, the orally consumable product mayhave a sweetness intensity equivalent to about 1% to about 9% (w/v-%)sucrose solution, about 1% to about 8% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, about1% to about 7% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, about 1% to about 6% (w/v-%)sucrose solution, about 1% to about 5% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, orabout 1% to about 4% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, including any valuesbetween these ranges. In some embodiments, the orally consumable productmay have a sweetness intensity equivalent to about 2% to about 10%(w/v-%) sucrose solution, about 3% to about 10% (w/v-%) sucrosesolution, about 4% to about 10% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, about 5% toabout 10% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, about 6% to about 10% (w/v-%)sucrose solution, or about 7% to about 10% (w/v-%) sucrose solution,including any values between these ranges. In some embodiments, thesweetness intensity may be equivalent to about 10% to about 11% (w/v-%)sucrose solution, about 10% to about 12% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, about10% to about 13% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, about 10% to about 14%(w/v-%) sucrose solution, about 10% to about 15% (w/v-%) sucrosesolution, about 10% to about 16% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, about 10% toabout 17% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, about 10% to about 18% (w/v-%)sucrose solution, about 10% to about 19% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, about10% to about 20% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, about 10% to about 21%(w/v-%) sucrose solution, about 10% to about 22% (w/v-%) sucrosesolution, about 10% to about 23% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, about 10% toabout 24% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, or about 10% to about 25% (w/v-%)sucrose solution, including any values between these ranges.

In some embodiments, orally consumable products contain one or moreadditional sweeteners. The one or more additional sweeteners may alreadybe present in the orally consumable product or may be added to theorally consumable product, or one or more compounds or ingredients usedto make the orally consumable product. In certain embodiments, the oneor more additional sweeteners can include, without limitation, naturalsweeteners, and artificial or synthetic sweeteners. Suitable sweetenersand combinations of sweeteners may be selected for the desirednutritional characteristics, taste profile, mouthfeel, and otherorganoleptic factors. In some embodiments, the one or more additionalsweeteners include high intensity sweeteners and/or natural highintensity sweeteners, including, without limitation, stevia extracts,steviol glycosides, steviosides, rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B,rebaudioside C, rebaudioside D, rebaudioside F, dulcoside A,rubusosides, steviolbiosides, sucrose, high fructose corn syrup,fructose, glucose, xylose, arabinose, rhamnose, erythritol, xylitol,mannitol, sorbitol, inositol, AceK, aspartame, neotame, sucralose,saccharine, naringin dihydrochalcone (NarDHC), neohesperidindihydrochalcone (NDHC), rubusoside, mogroside IV, siamenoside I,mogroside V, monatin, thaumatin, monellin, brazzein, L-alanine, glycine,Lo Han Guo, hernandulcin, phyllodulcin, trilobtain, and combinationsthereof. In some embodiments, caloric sweeteners, such as sucrose, areexcluded from the orally consumable products.

In other embodiments, orally consumable products of the presentdisclosure can include a mixture of rebaudioside E and one or moresweeteners of the present disclosure in a ratio sufficient to achieve adesirable sweetness intensity, nutritional characteristic, tasteprofile, mouthfeel, or other organoleptic factor.

In some embodiments, orally consumable products of the presentdisclosure may contain one or more additives. The one or more additivesmay be present to add or enhance one or more characteristics of theorally consumable product, such as flavor, texture, aroma, color,shelf-life, etc. The one or more additives may already be present in theorally consumable product or may be added to the orally consumableproduct, or one or more compounds or ingredients used to make the orallyconsumable product. The orally consumable product may contain anysuitable additive known in the art. Examples of suitable additivesinclude, without limitation, carbohydrates, polyols, amino acids orsalts thereof, poly-amino acids or salt thereof, sugar acids or saltsthereof, nucleotides, organic acids, inorganic acids, organic salts,organic acid salts, organic base salts, inorganic salts, bittercompounds, flavorants, flavoring ingredients, astringent compounds,proteins, protein hydrolysates, surfactants, emulsifiers, flavonoids,alcohols, polymers, preservatives, thickening agents, food colorings,and combinations thereof.

Rebaudioside E can be present in any suitable orally consumable productknown in the art. Examples of suitable orally consumable productsinclude, without limitation, foodstuff compositions, beverage products,dietary supplements, nutraceuticals, edible gel mixes, edible gelcompositions, pharmaceutical compositions, dental compositions, and oralhygiene compositions.

Foodstuff Compositions

In certain embodiments, from about 5 ppm to about 100 ppm ofrebaudioside E is present in foodstuff compositions. As used herein,“foodstuff composition(s)” refers to any solid or liquid ingestiblematerial that may, but need not, have a nutritional value and isintended for consumption by man or animal.

Examples of suitable foodstuff compositions include, without limitation,beverages (both carbonated and non-carbonated), such as coffee, teas,herbal teas, fruit drinks, soft drinks (e.g., colas), and the like;confectionary compositions, such as candies, mints, fruit flavoreddrops, cocoa products, chocolates, and the like; condiments, such asketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and the like; chewing gums; cerealcompositions; baked goods, such as breads, cakes, pies, cookies, and thelike; dairy products, such as milk, cheese, cream, ice cream, sourcream, yoghurt, sherbet, and the like; tabletop sweetener compositions;soups; stews; convenience foods; meats, such as ham, bacon, sausages,jerky, and the like; gelatins and gelatin-like products such as jams,jellies, preserves, and the like; fruits; vegetables; egg products;icings; syrups including molasses; snacks; nut meats and nut products;and animal feed.

Foodstuff compositions may also include herbs, spices and seasonings,natural and synthetic flavors, and flavor enhancers, such as monosodiumglutamate. In some embodiments, foodstuff compositions include, withoutlimitation, prepared packaged products, such as dietetic sweeteners,liquid sweeteners, granulated flavor mixes which upon reconstitutionwith water provide non-carbonated drinks, instant pudding mixes, instantcoffee and tea, coffee whiteners, malted milk mixes, pet foods,livestock feed, tobacco, and materials for baking applications, such aspowdered baking mixes for the preparation of breads, cookies, cakes,pancakes, donuts and the like. In other embodiments, foodstuffcompositions also include diet or low-calorie food and beveragescontaining little or no sucrose.

Beverage Products

In certain embodiments, from about 5 ppm to about 100 ppm ofrebaudioside E is present in beverage products. Beverage products of thepresent disclosure include both carbonated and non-carbonated beverageproducts. Examples of suitable beverage products include, withoutlimitation, soft drinks, fountain beverages, frozen beverages,ready-to-drink beverages, coffee, teas, dairy beverages, powdered softdrinks, liquid concentrates, flavored water, enhanced water, fruitjuices, fruit juice flavored drinks, sport drinks, energy drinks, andalcoholic beverages, such as beers, wines, and liquors.

In some embodiments, a beverage product of the present disclosureincludes one or more beverage ingredients including, without limitation,acidulants, fruit juices and/or vegetable juices, pulp, etc.,flavorings, coloring, preservatives, vitamins, minerals, electrolytes,erythritol, tagatose, glycerine, and carbon dioxide. Such beverageproducts may be provided in any suitable form, such as a beverageconcentrate or a carbonated, ready-to-drink beverage.

In certain embodiments, beverage products of the present disclosure mayhave any of numerous different specific formulations or constitutions.The formulation of a beverage product of the present disclosure may varyto a certain extent, depending upon such factors as the product'sintended market segment, its desired nutritional characteristics, flavorprofile, and the like. For example, in certain embodiments, it willgenerally be an option to add further ingredients to the formulation ofa particular beverage product. For example, additional (i.e., moreand/or other) sweeteners may be added, flavorings, electrolytes,vitamins, fruit juices or other fruit products, tastents, masking agentsand the like, flavor enhancers, and/or carbonation typically may beadded to any such formulations to vary the taste, mouthfeel, nutritionalcharacteristics, etc. In embodiments, the beverage product is a colabeverage that contains water, about 5 ppm to about 100 ppm rebaudiosideE, an acidulant, and flavoring. Exemplary flavorings include, withoutlimitation, cola flavoring, citrus flavoring, and spice flavorings. Insome embodiments, carbonation in the form of carbon dioxide may be addedfor effervescence. In other embodiments, preservatives may be added,depending upon the other ingredients, production technique, desiredshelf life, etc. In certain embodiments, caffeine may be added. In someembodiments, the beverage product is a cola-flavored carbonatedbeverage, characteristically containing carbonated water, sweetener,kola nut extract and/or other flavoring, caramel coloring, one or moreacids, and optionally other ingredients.

Acidulants that may be used with beverage products of the presentdisclosure may serve any one or more of several functions, includingwithout limitation, lending tartness to the taste of the beverageproduct, enhancing palatability, increasing thirst quenching effect,modifying sweetness and acting as a mild preservative. Suitable acidsare well known in the art and include, without limitation, phosphoricacid, citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid, fumaric acid,ascorbic acid, gluconic acid, succinic acid, maleic acid, adipic acid,cinnamic acid, glutaric acid, and combinations thereof.

Dietary Supplements and Nutraceuticals

In certain embodiments, from about 5 ppm to about 100 ppm ofrebaudioside E is present in dietary supplements. As used herein,“dietary supplement(s)” refers to compounds intended to supplement thediet and provide nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, fattyacids, amino acids, etc. that may be missing or may not be consumed insufficient quantities in a diet. Any suitable dietary supplement knownin the art may be used. Examples of suitable dietary supplementsinclude, without limitation, nutrients, vitamins, minerals, fiber, fattyacids, herbs, botanicals, amino acids, and metabolites.

In some embodiments, from about 10 ppm to about 100 ppm of rebaudiosideE is present in nutraceuticals. As sued herein, “nutraceutical(s)”refers to compounds, which includes any food or part of a food that mayprovide medicinal or health benefits, including the prevention and/ortreatment of disease or disorder (e.g., fatigue, insomnia, effects ofaging, memory loss, mood disorders, cardiovascular disease and highlevels of cholesterol in the blood, diabetes, osteoporosis,inflammation, autoimmune disorders, etc.). Any suitable nutraceuticalknown in the art may be used. In some embodiments, nutraceuticals can beused as supplements to food and beverages and as pharmaceuticalformulations for enteral or parenteral applications which may be solidformulations, such as capsules or tablets, or liquid formulations, suchas solutions or suspensions.

In some embodiments, dietary supplements and nutraceuticals may furthercontain protective hydrocolloids (such as gums, proteins, modifiedstarches), binders, film-forming agents, encapsulating agents/materials,wall/shell materials, matrix compounds, coatings, emulsifiers, surfaceactive agents, solubilizing agents (oils, fats, waxes, lecithins, etc.),adsorbents, carriers, fillers, co-compounds, dispersing agents, wettingagents, processing aids (solvents), flowing agents, taste-maskingagents, weighting agents, jellyfying agents, gel-forming agents,antioxidants and antimicrobials.

Edible Gel Mixes and Gel Compositions

In certain embodiments, from about 5 ppm to about 100 ppm ofrebaudioside E is present in gel mixes and gel compositions. As usedherein, a “gel” refers to a colloidal system in which a network ofparticles spans the volume of a liquid medium. Although gels mainly arecomposed of liquids, and thus exhibit densities similar to liquids, gelshave the structural coherence of solids due to the network of particlesthat spans the liquid medium. For this reason, gels generally appear tobe solid, jelly-like materials. Gels can be used in a number ofapplications. For example, gels can be used in foods, paints, andadhesives. Gels that can be eaten are referred to as “edible gelcompositions.” Edible gel compositions typically are eaten as snacks, asdesserts, as a part of staple foods, or along with staple foods.Examples of suitable edible gel compositions include, withoutlimitation, gel desserts, puddings, jams, jellies, pastes, trifles,aspics, marshmallows, gummy candies, and the like. In some embodiments,edible gel mixes generally are powdered or granular solids to which afluid may be added to form an edible gel composition. Examples ofsuitable fluids include, without limitation, water, dairy fluids, dairyanalogue fluids, juices, alcohol, alcoholic beverages, and combinationsthereof. Examples of suitable dairy fluids include, without limitation,milk, cultured milk, cream, fluid whey, and mixtures thereof. Examplesof suitable dairy analogue fluids include, without limitation, soy milkand non-dairy coffee whitener.

As used herein, the term “gelling ingredient” refers to any materialthat can form a colloidal system within a liquid medium. Examples ofsuitable gelling ingredients include, without limitation, gelatin,alginate, carageenan, gum, pectin, konjac, agar, food acid, rennet,starch, starch derivatives, and combinations thereof. It is well knownto those having ordinary skill in the art that the amount of gellingingredient used in an edible gel mix or an edible gel composition variesconsiderably depending on a number of factors, including withoutlimitation, the particular gelling ingredient used, the particular fluidbase used, and the desired properties of the gel.

Gel mixes and gel compositions of the present disclosure may be preparedby any suitable method known in the art. In some embodiments, edible gelmixes and edible gel compositions of the present disclosure may beprepared using other ingredients in addition to rebaudioside E and thegelling agent. Examples of other suitable ingredients include, withoutlimitation, a food acid, a salt of a food acid, a buffering system, abulking agent, a sequestrant, a cross-linking agent, one or moreflavors, one or more colors, and combinations thereof.

Pharmaceutical Compositions

In certain embodiments, from about 5 ppm to about 100 ppm ofrebaudioside E is present in pharmaceutical compositions. Any suitablepharmaceutical composition known in the art may be used. In certainembodiments, a pharmaceutical composition of the present disclosurecontains from about 5 ppm to about 100 ppm of rebaudio side E, and oneor more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients. In some embodiments,pharmaceutical compositions of the present disclosure may be used toformulate pharmaceutical drugs containing one or more active agents thatexert a biological effect. Accordingly, in some embodiments,pharmaceutical compositions of the present disclosure may contain one ormore active agents that exert a biological effect. Suitable activeagents are well known in the art (e.g., The Physician's Desk Reference).Such compositions can be prepared according to procedures well known inthe art, for example, as described in Remington's PharmaceuticalSciences, Mack Publishing Co., Easton, Pa., USA.

Examples of suitable active agents include, without limitation,bronchodilators, anorexiants, antihistamines, nutritional supplements,laxatives, analgesics, anesthetics, antacids, H.sub.2-receptorantagonists, anticholinergics, antidiarrheals, demulcents, antitussives,antinauseants, antimicrobials, antibacterials, antifungals, antivirals,expectorants, anti-inflammatory agents, antipyretics, and mixturesthereof. In one embodiment, the active agent is selected from the groupconsisting of antipyretics and analgesics, e.g., ibuprofen,acetaminophen, or aspirin; laxatives, e.g., phenolphthalein dioctylsodium sulfosuccinate; appetite depressants, e.g., amphetamines,phenylpropanolamine, phenylpropanolamine hydrochloride, or caffeine;antacidics, e.g., calcium carbonate; antiasthmatics, e.g., theophylline;antidiuretics, e.g., diphenoxylate hydrochloride; agents active againstflatulence, e.g., simethecon; migraine agents, e.g., ergotaminetartrate;psychopharmacological agents, e.g., haloperidol; spasmolytics orsedatives, e.g., phenobarbitol; antihyperkinetics, e.g., methyldopa ormethylphenidate; tranquilizers, e.g., benzodiazepines,hydroxinmeprobramates or phenothiazines; antihistaminics, e.g.,astemizol, chloropheniramine maleate, pyridamine maleate, doxlaminesuccinate, bromopheniramine maleate, phenyltolox amine citrate,chlorocyclizine hydrochloride, pheniramine maleate, and phenindaminetartrate; decongestants, e.g., phenylpropanolamine hydrochloride,phenylephrine hydrochloride, pseudoephedrine hydrochloride,pseudoephedrine sulfate, phenylpropanolamine bitartrate, and ephedrine;beta-receptor blockers, e.g., propanolol; agents for alcohol withdrawal,e.g., disulfiram; antitussives, e.g., benzocaine, dextromethorphan,dextromethorphan hydrobromide, noscapine, carbetapentane citrate, andchlophedianol hydrochloride; fluorine supplements, e.g., sodiumfluoride; local antibiotics, e.g., tetracycline or cleocine;corticosteroid supplements, e.g., prednisone or prednisolone; agentsagainst goiter formation, e.g., colchicine or allopurinol;antiepileptics, e.g., phenytoine sodium; agents against dehydration,e.g., electrolyte supplements; antiseptics, e.g., cetylpyridiniumchloride; NSAIDs, e.g., acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen, or saltsthereof; gastrointestinal active agents, e.g., loperamide andfamotidine; various alkaloids, e.g., codeine phosphate, codeine sulfate,or morphine; supplements for trace elements, e.g., sodium chloride, zincchloride, calcium carbonate, magnesium oxide, and other alkali metalsalts and alkali earth metal salts; vitamins; ion-exchange resins, e.g.,cholestyramine; cholesterol-depressant and lipid-lowering substances;antiarrhythmics, e.g., N-acetylprocainamide; and expectorants, e.g.,guaifenesin. Suitable active substances which have a particularlyunpleasant taste include, without limitation, antibacterial agents suchas ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, and pefloxacin; antiepileptics such aszonisamide; macrolide antibiotics such as erythromycin; beta-lactamantibiotics such as penicillins and cephalosporins; psychotropic activesubstances such as chlorpromazine; active substances such as sulpyrine;and agents active against ulcers, such as cimetidine. In anotherembodiment, the pharmaceutical composition of the present inventioncomprises at least one amino acid selected from the group consisting ofglycine, L-alanine, L-arginine, L-aspartic acid, L-cystine, L-glutamicacid, L-glutamine, L-histidine, L-isoleucine, L-leucine, L-lysine,L-methionine, L-ornithine, L-phenylalanine, L-proline, L-serine,L-threonine, L-tryptophan, L-tyro sine, L-valine, creatine, and mixturesthereof.

In some embodiments, pharmaceutical compositions of the presentdisclosure can be administered to a subject in any form suitable toachieve their intended purpose. In certain preferred embodiments, thecomposition is one which can be administered buccally or orally.Alternatively, the pharmaceutical composition may be an oral or nasalspray. Suitable subjects include, without limitation, any animal, suchas a human. Other suitable animals include, without limitation, canines,felines, dogs, cats, livestock, horses, cattle, sheep, and the like. Aveterinary composition, as used herein, refers to a pharmaceuticalcomposition that suitable for non-human animals. Such veterinarycompositions are well known in the art.

In some embodiments, a pharmaceutical composition of the presentdisclosure is a liquid dosage form for oral administration, including,without limitation, pharmaceutically acceptable emulsions, solutions,suspensions, syrups, and elixirs. In addition to the active compounds,the liquid dosage forms may contain inert diluents commonly used in theart such as, for example, water or other solvents, solubilizing agentsand emulsifiers such as ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, ethylcarbonate, ethyl acetate, benzyl alcohol, benzyl benzoate, propyleneglycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, dimethyl formamide, oils (in particular,cottonseed, groundnut, corn, germ, olive, castor, and sesame oils),glycerol, tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol, polyethylene glycols and fattyacid esters of sorbitan, and mixtures thereof. Suspensions, in additionto the active compounds, may contain suspending agents as, for example,ethoxylated isostearyl alcohols, polyoxyethylene sorbitol and sorbitanesters, microcrystalline cellulose, aluminum metahydroxide, bentonite,agar-agar, and tragacanth, and mixtures thereof.

In other embodiments, pharmaceutical compositions of the presentdisclosure can be in the form of chewable tablets (e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos.4,684,534 and 6,060,078); orally disintegrating compositions (e.g., U.S.Pat. Nos. 6,368,625 and 6,316,029); nasal compositions (e.g., U.S. Pat.No. 6,187,332); solid dosage forms, such as water and/or salivaactivated effervescent granule (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,649,186);film-shaped or wafer-shaped pharmaceutical compositions; gum baseformulations having a medicament or agent and rebaudioside E containedin a coating that surrounds the gum base formulation (e.g., U.S. Pat.No. 6,773,716); and aerosols (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,678).

Dental and Oral Hygiene Compositions

In certain embodiments, from about 5 ppm to about 100 ppm ofrebaudioside E is present in dental and oral hygiene compositions. Anysuitable dental and oral hygiene compositions known in the art may beused. Examples of suitable dental and oral hygiene compositions include,without limitation, toothpastes, tooth polishes, dental floss,mouthwashes, mouthrinses, dentrifices, mouth sprays, mouth refreshers,plaque rinses, dental pain relievers, and the like.

Methods of Producing Orally Consumable Products Containing RebaudiosideE

Other aspects of the present disclosure relate to methods of preparingand/or enhancing the sweetness of orally consumable products of thepresent disclosure containing rebaudioside E. Examples of suitableorally consumable products that may be prepared by the methods of thepresent disclosure include, without limitation, any of the foodstuffcompositions, beverage products, dietary supplements, nutraceuticals,edible gel mixes, edible gel compositions, pharmaceutical compositions,dental compositions, and oral hygiene compositions disclosed herein. Insome embodiments, rebaudioside E is included and/or added directly tothe orally consumable product, or included and/or added to a compound oringredient from which the orally consumable product is made. In otherembodiments, the rebaudioside E to be included and/or added to theorally consumable product is a rebaudioside E polymorph, amorphousrebaudioside E, or a rebaudioside E stereoisomer.

In certain embodiments, rebaudioside E is included and/or added at afinal concentration that is sufficient to sweeten and/or enhance thesweetness of the orally consumable product. The “final concentration” ofrebaudioside E refers to the concentration of rebaudioside E present inthe final orally consumable product (i.e., after all ingredients and/orcompounds have been added to produce the orally consumable product).Accordingly, in certain embodiments, rebaudioside E is included and/oradded to a compound or ingredient used to prepare the orally consumableproduct. The rebaudioside E may be present in a single compound oringredient, or multiple compounds and ingredients. In other embodiments,rebaudioside E is included and/or added to the orally consumableproduct. In certain preferred embodiments, the rebaudioside E isincluded and/or added at a final concentration that ranges from about 5ppm to about 100 ppm, from about 5 ppm to about 95 ppm, from about 5 ppmto about 90 ppm, from about 5 ppm to about 85 ppm, from about 5 ppm toabout 80 ppm, from about 5 ppm to about 75 ppm, from about 5 ppm toabout 70 ppm, from about 5 ppm to about 65 ppm, from about 5 ppm toabout 60 ppm, from about 5 ppm to about 55 ppm, from about 5 ppm toabout 50 ppm, from about 5 ppm to about 45 ppm, from about 5 ppm toabout 40 ppm, from about 5 ppm to about 35 ppm, from about 5 ppm toabout 30 ppm, from about 5 ppm to about 25 ppm, from about 5 ppm toabout 20 ppm, from about 5 ppm to about 15 ppm, or from about 5 ppm toabout 10 ppm. Alternatively, the rebaudioside E is included and/or addedat a final concentration that ranges from about 5 ppm to about 100 ppm,from about 10 ppm to about 100 ppm, from about 15 ppm to about 100 ppm,from about 20 ppm to about 100 ppm, from about 25 ppm to about 100 ppm,from about 30 ppm to about 100 ppm, from about 35 ppm to about 100 ppm,from about 40 ppm to about 100 ppm, from about 45 ppm to about 100 ppm,from about 50 ppm to about 100 ppm, from about 55 ppm to about 100 ppm,from about 60 ppm to about 100 ppm, from about 65 ppm to about 100 ppm,from about 70 ppm to about 100 ppm, from about 75 ppm to about 100 ppm,from about 80 ppm to about 100 ppm, from about 85 ppm to about 100 ppm,from about 90 ppm to about 100 ppm, or from about 95 ppm to about 100ppm. For example, rebaudioside E may be included and/or added at a finalconcentration of about 5 ppm, about 10 ppm, about 15 ppm, about 20 ppm,about 25 ppm, about 30 ppm, about 35 ppm, about 40 ppm, about 45 ppm,about 50 ppm, about 55 ppm, about 60 ppm, about 65 ppm, about 70 ppm,about 75 ppm, about 80 ppm, about 85 ppm, about 90 ppm, about 95 ppm, orabout 100 ppm, including any range in between these values. In certainembodiments, the rebaudioside E is included and/or added at a finalconcentration that ranges from about 20 ppm to about 60 ppm.

In some embodiments, the rebaudioside E that is included and/or added tothe orally consumable product has a purity of about 50% to about 100% byweight, about 55% to about 100% by weight, about 60% to about 100% byweight, about 65% to about 100% by weight, about 70% to about 100% byweight, about 75% to about 100% by weight, about 80% to about 100% byweight, about 85% to about 100% by weight, about 86% to about 100% byweight, about 87% to about 100% by weight, about 88% to about 100% byweight, about 89% to about 100% by weight, about 90% to about 100% byweight, about 91% to about 100% by weight, about 92% to about 100% byweight, about 93% to about 100% by weight, about 94% to about 100% byweight, about 95% to about 100% by weight, about 96% to about 100% byweight, about 97% to about 100% by weight, about 98% to about 100% byweight, or about 99% to about 100% by weight before it is added into theorally consumable product. Alternatively, the rebaudioside E that isincluded and/or added to the orally consumable product has a purity ofabout 50% to about 100% by weight, about 50% to about 99% by weight,about 50% to about 98% by weight, about 50% to about 97% by weight,about 50% to about 96% by weight, about 50% to about 95% by weight,about 50% to about 94% by weight, about 50% to about 93% by weight,about 50% to about 92% by weight, about 50% to about 91% by weight,about 50% to about 90% by weight, about 50% to about 85% by weight,about 50% to about 80% by weight, about 50% to about 75% by weight,about 50% to about 70% by weight, about 50% to about 65% by weight,about 50% to about 60% by weight, or about 50% to about 55% by weightbefore it is added into the orally consumable product. For example, therebaudioside E that is included and/or added to the orally consumableproduct may have a purity of about 50%, about 55%, about 60%, about 65%,about 70%, about 75%, about 80%, about 85%, about 86%, about 87%, about88%, about 89%, about 90%, about 91%, about 92%, about 93%, about 94%,about 95%, about 96%, about 97%, about 98%, about 99%, or about 100% byweight before it is added into the orally consumable product, includingany range in between these values. In other embodiments, therebaudioside E that is included and/or added to the orally consumableproduct is substantially separated from other diterpene glycosides,including without limitation, steviosides, steviolbiosides, otherrebaudiosides (e.g., Reb A, Reb B, Reb C, Reb D, and Reb F), anddulcosides. As used herein, rebaudioside E is “substantially separated”from other diterpene glycosides when the rebaudioside E is enriched inrebaudioside E by from about 50% to about 100%, including any values inbetween the range, as compared to the other diterpene glycosides.

In certain embodiments, rebaudioside E is the only sweetener includedand/or added to the orally consumable product. In such embodiments, theorally consumable product has a sweetness intensity equivalent to about1% to about 4% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, about 1% to about 3% (w/v-%)sucrose solution, or about 1% to about 2% (w/v-%) sucrose solution.Alternatively, the orally consumable product has a sweetness intensityequivalent to about 1% to about 4% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, about 2% toabout 4% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, about 3% to about 4% (w/v-%) sucrosesolution, or about 4%. For example, the orally consumable product mayhave a sweetness intensity equivalent to about 1%, about 2%, about 3%,or about 4% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, including any range in betweenthese values.

In other embodiments, including and/or adding about 5 ppm to about 100ppm rebaudioside E in orally consumable products of the presentdisclosure is sufficient for the rebaudioside E to provide from about10% to about 100% of the total sweetening of the orally consumableproduct. In some embodiments, including and/or adding about 5 ppm toabout 100 ppm rebaudioside E present in orally consumable products ofthe present disclosure is sufficient for the rebaudioside E to provideabout 10%, about 15%, about 20%, about 25%, about 30%, about 35%, about40%, about 45%, about 50%, about 55%, about 60%, about 65%, about 70%,about 75%, about 80%, about 85%, about 90%, about 91%, about 92%, about93%, about 94%, about 95%, about 96%, about 97%, about 98%, about 99%,or about 100% of the total sweetening of the orally consumable product.

In some embodiments, an orally consumable product of the presentdisclosure to which rebaudioside E is included and/or added has asweetness intensity equivalent to about 1% to about 25% (w/v-%) sucrosesolution. In such embodiments, the orally consumable product of thepresent disclosure to which rebaudioside E is included and/or addedalready contains one or more sweeteners. Alternatively, rebaudioside Eand one or more additional sweeteners are added to an orally consumableproduct of the present disclosure to produce an orally consumableproduct of the present disclosure having a sweetness intensityequivalent to about 1% to about 25% (w/v-%) sucrose solution. In someembodiments, an orally consumable product of the present disclosure hasa sweetness intensity equivalent to about 1% to about 10% (w/v-%)sucrose solution. For example, the orally consumable product may have asweetness intensity equivalent to about 1% to about 9% (w/v-%) sucrosesolution, about 1% to about 8% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, about 1% toabout 7% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, about 1% to about 6% (w/v-%) sucrosesolution, about 1% to about 5% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, or about 1% toabout 4% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, including any values between theseranges. In some embodiments, the orally consumable product may have asweetness intensity equivalent to about 2% to about 10% (w/v-%) sucrosesolution, about 3% to about 10% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, about 4% toabout 10% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, about 5% to about 10% (w/v-%)sucrose solution, about 6% to about 10% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, orabout 7% to about 10% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, including any valuesbetween these ranges. In some embodiments, the sweetness intensity maybe equivalent to about 10% to about 11% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, about10% to about 12% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, about 10% to about 13%(w/v-%) sucrose solution, about 10% to about 14% (w/v-%) sucrosesolution, about 10% to about 15% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, about 10% toabout 16% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, about 10% to about 17% (w/v-%)sucrose solution, about 10% to about 18% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, about10% to about 19% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, about 10% to about 20%(w/v-%) sucrose solution, about 10% to about 21% (w/v-%) sucrosesolution, about 10% to about 22% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, about 10% toabout 23% (w/v-%) sucrose solution, about 10% to about 24% (w/v-%)sucrose solution, or about 10% to about 25% (w/v-%) sucrose solution,including any values between these ranges.

In certain embodiments, the sweeteners can include, without limitation,natural sweeteners, and artificial or synthetic sweeteners. Suitablesweeteners and combinations of sweeteners may be selected for thedesired nutritional characteristics, taste profile, mouthfeel, and otherorganoleptic factors. In some embodiments, the sweeteners include highintensity sweeteners and/or natural high intensity sweeteners,including, without limitation, stevia extracts, steviol glycosides,steviosides, rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B, rebaudioside C,rebaudioside D, rebaudioside F, dulcoside A, rubusosides,steviolbiosides, sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, fructose, glucose,xylose, arabinose, rhamnose, erythritol, xylitol, mannitol, sorbitol,inositol, AceK, aspartame, neotame, sucralose, saccharine, naringindihydrochalcone (NarDHC), neohesperidin dihydrochalcone (NDHC),rubusoside, mogroside IV, siamenoside I, mogroside V, monatin,thaumatin, monellin, brazzein, L-alanine, glycine, Lo Han Guo,hernandulcin, phyllodulcin, trilobtain, and combinations thereof. Insome embodiments, caloric sweeteners, such as sucrose, are excluded fromthe orally consumable products.

In some embodiments, the orally consumable product produced by themethods of the present disclosure may contain one or more additives. Theone or more additives may be present to add or enhance one or morecharacteristics of the orally consumable product, such as flavor,texture, aroma, color, shelf-life, etc. In some embodiments the orallyconsumable product to which rebaudioside E is included and/or addedalready contains the one or more additives. Alternatively, the one ormore additives are added to the orally consumable product as a step inthe methods of the present disclosure. The orally consumable product maycontain any suitable additive known in the art. Examples of suitableadditives include, without limitation, carbohydrates, polyols, aminoacids or salts thereof, poly-amino acids or salt thereof, sugar acids orsalts thereof, nucleotides, organic acids, inorganic acids, organicsalts, organic acid salts, organic base salts, inorganic salts, bittercompounds, flavorants, flavoring ingredients, astringent compounds,proteins, protein hydrolysates, surfactants, emulsifiers, flavonoids,alcohols, polymers, preservatives, thickening agents, food colorings,and combinations thereof.

Accordingly in certain embodiments, the present disclosure providesmethods of preparing an orally consumable product of the presentdisclosure by including purified rebaudioside E into the orallyconsumable product or into the ingredients for making the orallyconsumable product, where rebaudioside E is present in the orallyconsumable product at a concentration of from about 5 ppm to about 100ppm.

In other embodiments, the present disclosure provides methods forenhancing the sweetness of an orally consumable product by adding fromabout 5 ppm to about 100 ppm of purified rebaudioside E into an orallyconsumable product of the present disclosure or into the ingredients formaking an orally consumable product of the present disclosure, where theadded rebaudioside E enhances the sweetness of the orally consumableproduct, as compared to a corresponding orally consumable productlacking the purified rebaudioside E.

In other embodiments, the present disclosure provides methods forpreparing a sweetened orally consumable product by: a) providing anorally consumable product of the present disclosure that contains one ormore sweetener; and b) adding from about 5 ppm to about 100 ppm ofpurified rebaudio side E into the orally consumable product.

The invention will be more fully understood by reference to thefollowing Examples. They should not, however, be construed as limitingthe scope of the invention. All citations throughout the disclosure arehereby expressly incorporated by reference.

EXAMPLES Example 1 Comparative Analysis Between High-purity RebaudiosideE and Table Sugar

The following Examples demonstrate the concentrations at whichrebaudioside E (Reb-E) has an equivalent sweetness to table sugar.

Materials and Methods

Rebaudioside E (Reb-E) was produced to emulate the sweetness of tablesugar (sucrose).

A standard sweetness test method was employed. Briefly, training samplesolutions made of sucrose in water at 1-5% concentration (Brix) at 1%increments were prepared. Reb-E test samples were made of Reb-E in waterat 20-60 ppm (parts per million). Panelists were trained to recognizeand differentiate between each training solution. Three test solutionsof known sucrose concentrations were given to panelists to ensure equaltraining and to establish a baseline.

Table 1 shows the training and test solutions.

TABLE 1 Sucrose + 0.6% citric acid Reb-E + 0.6% citric Acid 1% (10 ×1,000 PPM) 20 PPM 2% (20 × 1,000 PPM) 40 PPM 3% (30 × 1,000 PPM) 50 PPM4% (40 × 1,000 PPM) 60 PPM

Test solutions were randomized using a random number generator. Two setsof tests were generated for each panelist. Saltine crackers wereprovided along with water for wash out between test solutions. Eachpanelist rated each of the solutions according to sweetness (in Brix)and sourness (yes or no). The intensity of each attribute was alsocollected.

Results

Table 2 and Table 3 show the results of the comparative tests. Theresults are depicted as the average of the results from all thepanelists.

TABLE 2 Sucrose Sucrose ×1000 PPM Brix (average) 10 (1%) 1.3 20 (2%) 2.630 (3%) 3.4 40 (4%) 5.2

TABLE 3 Reb-E Reb-E PPM Brix (average) 20 1.2 40 2.1 50 2.2 60 2.6

The sweetness of Reb-E and sucrose as a function of concentration wasalso determined (FIG. 1). The results show a near linear correlationbetween Reb-E sweetness and concentration.

The ability of Reb-E to overcome sourness was also measured, andcompared to sucrose. Panelists were asked to detect the presence ofsourness by a yes or no rating. The results are shown in Table 4 andTable 5.

TABLE 4 Sucrose Sucrose ×1000 PPM Yes No 10 (1%) 8 4 20 (2%) 4 2 30 (3%)1 5 40 (4%) 4 2

TABLE 5 Reb-E Reb-E PPM Yes No 20 10 2 40 4 2 50 11 1 60 6 0

The results demonstrate that the sweetness of Reb-E at a range from 20ppm to 60 ppm is equivalent to the sweetness of a sucrose solution atconcentration that ranges from 1% to 3% (i.e., 10,000 to 30,000 ppm).The sourness tests indicated that Reb-E was not as effective in coveringthe sourness as compared to sucrose solutions within the tested range.

1. An orally consumable product comprising rebaudioside E present inabout 5 ppm to about 100 ppm.
 2. The product of claim 1, wherein theorally consumable product is selected from the group consisting of afoodstuff composition, a beverage product, a dietary supplement, anutraceutical, an edible gel mix, an edible gel composition, apharmaceutical composition, a dental composition, and an oral hygienecomposition.
 3. The product of claim 1, wherein the orally consumableproduct is a foodstuff composition selected from the group consisting ofa confectionary composition, a condiment, a chewing gum, a cerealcomposition, a baked good, a dairy product, and a tabletop sweetenercomposition.
 4. The product of claim 1, wherein the product is acarbonated or non-carbonated beverage product.
 5. The product of claim1, wherein the product is a beverage product selected from the groupconsisting of a soft drink, a fountain beverage, a frozen andready-to-drink beverage, coffee, tea, a dairy beverage, a powdered softdrink, a liquid concentrate, flavored water, enhanced water, fruitjuice, a fruit juice flavored drink, a sport drink, and an energy drink.6. The product of claim 1, wherein the rebaudioside E is the onlysweetener, and the product has a sweetness intensity equivalent to about1% to about 4% (w/v-%) sucrose solution.
 7. The product of claim 1,further comprising an additional sweetener, wherein the product has asweetness intensity equivalent to about 1% to about 10% (w/v-%) sucrosesolution.
 8. The product of claim 7, wherein every sweetening ingredientin the product is a high intensity sweetener.
 9. The product of claim 7,wherein every sweetening ingredient in the product is a natural highintensity sweetener.
 10. The product of claim 7, wherein the additionalsweetener comprises one or more sweeteners selected from the groupconsisting of a stevia extract, a steviol glycoside, stevioside,rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B, rebaudioside C, rebaudioside D,rebaudioside F, dulcoside A, rubusoside, steviolbioside, sucrose, highfructose corn syrup, fructose, glucose, xylose, arabinose, rhamnose,erythritol, xylitol, mannitol, sorbitol, inositol, AceK, aspartame,neotame, sucralose, saccharine, naringin dihydrochalcone (NarDHC),neohesperidin dihydrochalcone (NDHC), rubusoside, mogroside IV,siamenoside I, mogroside V, monatin, thaumatin, monellin, brazzein,L-alanine, glycine, Lo Han Guo, hernandulcin, phyllodulcin, trilobtain,and combinations thereof.
 11. The product of claim 1, further comprisingone or more additives selected from the group consisting of acarbohydrate, a polyol, an amino acid or salt thereof, a poly-amino acidor salt thereof, a sugar acid or salt thereof, a nucleotide, an organicacid, an inorganic acid, an organic salt, an organic acid salt, anorganic base salt, an inorganic salt, a bitter compound, a flavorant, aflavoring ingredient, an astringent compound, a protein, a proteinhydrolysate, a surfactant, an emulsifier, a flavonoids, an alcohol, apolymer, and combinations thereof.
 12. The product of claim 1, whereinthe rebaudioside E has a purity of about 50% to about 100% by weightbefore it is added into the product.
 13. The product of claim 1, whereinthe rebaudioside E in the product is a rebaudioside E polymorph oramorphous rebaudioside E.
 14. The product of claim 1, wherein therebaudioside E in the product is a rebaudioside E stereoisomer.
 15. Amethod of preparing an orally consumable product comprising includingpurified rebaudioside E into the product or into the ingredients formaking the product, wherein rebaudioside E is present in the product ata concentration of from about 5 ppm to about 100 ppm.
 16. A method forenhancing the sweetness of an orally consumable product comprisingadding from about 5 ppm to about 100 ppm of purified rebaudioside E intoan orally consumable product or into the ingredients for making anorally consumable product, wherein the added rebaudioside E enhances thesweetness of the orally consumable product, as compared to acorresponding orally consumable product lacking the purifiedrebaudioside E.
 17. The method of claim 15, wherein the rebaudioside Eis the only sweetener, and the product has a sweetness intensityequivalent to about 1% to about 4% (w/v-%) sucrose solution.
 18. Themethod of claim 15, further comprising adding an additional sweetener,wherein the product has a sweetness intensity equivalent to about 1% toabout 10% (w/v-%) sucrose solution.
 19. A method for preparing asweetened orally consumable product, comprising: a) providing an orallyconsumable product comprising one or more sweetener; and b) adding fromabout 5 ppm to about 100 ppm of purified rebaudioside E into the orallyconsumable product.
 20. The method of claim 15, further comprisingadding one or more additives to the orally consumable product.
 21. Themethod of claim 15, wherein the orally consumable product furthercomprises one or more additives.
 22. The method of claim 20, wherein theone or more additives are selected from the group consisting of acarbohydrate, a polyol, an amino acid or salt thereof, a poly-amino acidor salt thereof, a sugar acid or salt thereof, a nucleotide, an organicacid, an inorganic acid, an organic salt, an organic acid salt, anorganic base salt, an inorganic salt, a bitter compound, a flavorant, aflavoring ingredient, an astringent compound, a protein, a proteinhydrolysate, a surfactant, an emulsifier, a flavonoids, an alcohol, apolymer, and combinations thereof.
 23. The method of claim 18, whereinevery sweetening ingredient in the product is a high intensitysweetener.
 24. The method of claim 18, wherein every sweeteningingredient in the product is a natural high intensity sweetener.
 25. Themethod of claim 18, wherein the sweetener is selected from the groupconsisting of a stevia extract, a steviol glycoside, stevioside,rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B, rebaudioside C, rebaudioside D,rebaudioside F, dulcoside A, rubusoside, steviolbioside, sucrose, highfructose corn syrup, fructose, glucose, xylose, arabinose, rhamnose,erythritol, xylitol, mannitol, sorbitol, inositol, AceK, aspartame,neotame, sucralose, saccharine, naringin dihydrochalcone (NarDHC),neohesperidin dihydrochalcone (NDHC), rubusoside, mogroside IV,siamenoside I, mogroside V, monatin, thaumatin, monellin, brazzein,L-alanine, glycine, Lo Han Guo, hernandulcin, phyllodulcin, trilobtain,and combinations thereof.
 26. The method of claim 15, wherein therebaudioside E has a purity of about 50% to about 100% by weight beforeit is added into the product.
 27. The method of claim 15, wherein therebaudioside E in the product is a rebaudioside E polymorph or amorphousrebaudioside E.
 28. The method of claim 15, wherein the rebaudioside Ein the product is a rebaudioside E stereoisomer.